A reminder to cyclists to share the road, trails

When the cyclist in a T-shirt suddenly veered out in front of me on Fuller St. SE, headed the wrong way in my lane, I was startled, but not surprised. He’s typical of the riders I often see there: lackadaisical and lacking common sense.

Fortunately, neither of us was going very fast.

He had no helmet, did not signal, and was riding mid-lane into traffic -- all bad moves. But what surprised me happened 10 minutes later downtown on the way to work.

That’s when a spandex-clad rider, tricked out with an expensive color-coordinated outfit, high-end road bike, quality helmet and wrap-around shades, looking every bit the Tour de France, blew through a yield sign and the round-about intersection without even a pause. Trouble was: I had already entered the loop in my car. The guy scared the hell out of me.

Not surprisingly, at work, I opened an email from Denny Byle, a reader who was at wits end about the behavior of cyclists on Kent Trails. That’s the rail-trail running from John Ball Park to Byron Center -- a delightful trail to ride, walk or skate.

"I cannot begin to tell you all the manner of rude people who use this path," Byle wrote. "I walk my dog on the trail and people have no common sense whatsoever. They come from behind on their bikes which make no sound at all, and pass without alerting anybody. Even my dog, with much keener hearing than me, doesn’t hear them until they overtake us, scaring us both."

Spring fever! Ain’t it grand?

It may feel good to get out in the fresh air after a long, cold winter, but cyclists need to remember they have a responsibility when they ride. On the road, they need to ride defensively, predictably and with traffic, obeying the traffic laws and signaling their turns. Cyclists have every right to ride the roads, but not to ride it carelessly.

On public recreation trails, that responsibility means to ride safely and courteously with respect to others out on the trail.

I called Byle to hear more about his experiences with Kent Trails. I ride it periodically. He lives along it and walks his dog there four or five times a week. He no longer rides it on a bicycle because of health issues.

"It’s awesome and I love seeing people out there," said Byle, who used to bicycle 6 miles to work on a regular basis in the warmer months. "The problem is the silent bikers," he said. "I can hear the tread of the big, off-road bikes coming pretty well. But some of the bikers you can’t hear. I am (6-foot-4) and I yell at people and tell them to tell people they are coming."

In fact, common biking etiquette is to do just that: ring a bell or announce your presence with "on your left," loud enough as you approach a walker or when passing a cyclist. You don’t want someone inadvertently stepping left just as you go to pass.

Staying to the right is also standard cycling protocol on two-way trails. That means to the right, not the center of the path. The same goes for the children you may be taking out on the trail.

Cyclists who ride in pairs or groups on those trails also need to break formation and ride single-file when others are coming the other way or when passing. Having an open stretch of trail is a joy to ride, but crowding others out isn’t cool under any circumstances.

Byle also complained about litter being left behind by cyclists. Ironically, much of it, he said, is stuff that health-conscious people might carry.

"You might think the younger, more eco-friendly generation might be more attentive," he said. "But they are throwing away their energy drink bottles and snack wrappers and they are ending up on the trail."

Of course, energy drinks are not the exclusive domain of eco-friendly folks, who in my experience tend to be conscious of those things. They are, however, quite popular and widely available. I have seen a lot of young riders on Kent Trails who wouldn’t surprise me if they left their litter behind.

Later that same day, I had reason to drive through East Grand Rapids. It was a fine spring day and young children were out on their bicycles riding sidewalks. Every one I saw had a helmet on. Every one appeared to be starting off right, riding safely and having fun.